Safety Technology Is Only as Good as the Trust Behind It

Every carrier with a safety technology program eventually learns the same lesson: the hardware is the easy part. Cameras can be mounted, collision mitigation can be specified on new tractors, and telematics can be switched on. What’s harder to install is the belief, among people who spend their working lives behind the wheel, that the technology is on their side.

That gap between deployment and acceptance is where many programs succeed or stall. A fleet can invest heavily in sensors and software and still see limited results if drivers view the tools as surveillance instead of support. Carriers that close the gap tend to treat technology as one piece of a larger system that includes training, fair coaching and clear accountability.

Werner has spent years building that kind of system. Ryan Gass, Vice President of Safety and Terminal Management at Werner, walked through how the carrier approaches its safety program, from equipment decisions to driver trust to the role artificial intelligence is beginning to play in coaching.

For a carrier with a reputation as a safety leader among truckload fleets, the starting point isn’t a product. It’s a principle.

This story was originally published by FreightWaves. Read the full story at FreightWaves →